272 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



The Pikas, of which twelve distinct American 

 species are now recognized, constitute the sole 

 genus of this family. They are curious little 

 creatures whose appearance is something be- 

 tween that of a Guinea-pig and a Rabbit. They 

 are seven or eight inches long, with small eyes, 

 large and rounded ears, no external tail, hind 

 limbs relatively shorter than those of the Hares, 

 and " a rudimentary thumb with claw." The 

 soles of their feet are padded with fur, enabling 

 them to leap from rock to rock without losing 

 their footing. 



They are noisy little things, and " betray their 

 presence to the intruder on their domains by 

 sharp, squeaking, querulous ventriloquial notes 

 or cries, deceptive as to distance and locality." 

 They feed exclusively on vegetable matter, 

 and lay up stores of grass and other herbage 

 for the winter. They do not hibernate. The 

 young are produced in the spring, about j\Iay, 

 and there are generally four at a birth. 



For so small and rare an animal, it has been 

 greatly blessed with names. It is also called 

 Chief Hare, Tailless Hare, Calling, or Whis- 

 tling Hare, Rock Rabbit, and ( from the fact 

 that it never gets fat ) , by the miners of cer- 

 tain districts, " starved rat." 



The Pika is found in the Rocky Mountains 

 in British Columbia to the south branch of the 

 Mackenzie River, In Idaho, in the Salmon 

 River, and Saw Tooth Mountains, Dr. Merriam 

 found it ranging from the Canadian zone to 

 within a short distance of the summits of the 

 highest peaks. It was encountered most abun- 

 dantly in the neighborhood of timber line, be- 

 tween the altitudes of 10,000 and 11,000 feet. 

 Pikas are nimble, active little bodies, " spring- 

 ing lightly from rock to rock, and running 

 swiftly to and from their feeding grounds, often 

 several hundred feet away." As stated above, 

 they are vegetarians, their chief food-plant being 

 the arctic-alpine Gciim rossii. " This," says Dr. 

 Merriam, " is their 'hay,' and they lay up large 

 quantities of it for winter use, depositing it in 

 little heaps in the spaces between the rocks. 

 These storehouses average about the size of a 

 bushel measure." 



The Pikas are as industrious as the proverbial 

 busy bee. In the early fall they may be seen for 

 hours at a stretch carrying hay to their garners, 

 running swiftly to the side of the rock slide, 

 gathering a mouthful of leaves, and returning 

 as quickly to deposit it in the accustomed place. 



It is not known whether the Pika is night-lov- 

 ing as well as day-loving. Dr. Merriam once 



heard it at night, under exceptional circum- 

 stances. " One afternoon, about the first of Sep- 

 tember, Mr. Vernon Bailey and I carried our 

 blankets up above timber line on the Salmon 

 River Mountains and spent the night there. As 

 darkness fell upon the mountains a storm set 

 in. The wind blew a furious gale and rain 

 began falling. Soon the rain changed to hail 



«>• 



Photograph by J. M. Johrscn 



PIKA 



A queer little animal living among the crevices of rocks; also 

 called " Whistling Hare," or " Calling Hare," for its vocal 

 attainments 



and sleet, and finally to snow. Much to our 

 surprise, we heard the unmistakable cry of the 

 Pikas at frequent intervals throughout the night. 

 \Miether they are usually nocturnal as well as 

 diurnal, or whether the storm set them at work 

 to move their storehouses to safer places, we 

 have no means of knowing." 



